MAD DOG ON MONDAY: Moyes needs to get rid of RVP... Arsenal must drop Wilshere to win the title... and why Clarke knew the writing was on the wall at West Brom

Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen begins his new weekly column for MailOnline Sport. The former Brentford, Barnet, Leicester and Gillingham boss does not hold back with his views on current issues in the football. In his debut column he tackles Arsenal's need to behave like champions, Robin van Persie's future at Manchester United and the harsh world of management and its latest victim, Steve Clarke.

RIP RVP

David Moyes has got to put his marker down and get shot of Robin van Persie.

The first thing Sir Alex Ferguson always did to players who challenged his power and control, as we read about recently in his autobiography, was get rid. No matter how big or good they were the important thing is he got them out.

End of the road? Is Robin van Persie's time at Manchester United coming to an end

Over the past couple of weeks through various news outlets, social media networks and comments from certain people, it’s obvious that RVP quite clearly wants out of Manchester United. Moyes will have heard about the rumours that the player wants to leave because he only wanted to play for Ferguson.

Any manager that has a top player, if he’s not 100per cent focussed on playing for the club and playing for the manager it will rub off on the rest of the squad. It will destabilise the rest of the players and it can cause disharmony.

Dutch coach Raymond Verheijin called Moyes a ‘dinosaur’ and labelled his training methods ‘prehistoric.’ He said they would make Van Persie injured and now he’s out for a month. When that sort of information is leaked at your club you know you’ve got to act.

This is the way out: Martin Allen believes David Moyes has to show Van Persie the door

Watching Danny Welbeck against Aston Villa on Sunday – there’s a striker who can smell an opportunity. In front of Wayne Rooney he showed positive energy, freedom, desire, willingness and there was no sulking. He was a hungry, focussed centre forward that looked like he wants to make that position his own.

LUNA DRIVEN LOONY

While we’re on the topic of Villa, where the hell did they get that left-back Antonio Luna from? He was more of a loony than a Luna against United. They had too much pace and strength for him. Antonio Valencia terrorised him all game.

On the run: Manchester United's Antonio Valencia gave Villa's Antonio Luna the run around all afternoon

Floored: Luna is beaten by Valencia in United's win at Villa Park

It was like watching a man against a kid. Plus Rafael was piling on the pressure from right back. So many of United’s attacks went down the right-hand side – that shouldn’t have been allowed to happen.

Were Man United good, or were Villa really poor? It was hard to tell. But they’ve got a long way to go to get back to Ferguson’s champions.

WIN, LOSE OR DRAW – YOU ALWAYS THANK YOUR FANS

I’d say Man City are favourites for the title now – little things have crept in at Arsenal which doesn’t happen to proper champions.

We saw it this weekend. Mesut Ozil showed a complete lack of respect when he didn’t appreciate his supporters.

Show some respect: Per Mertesacker clashes with Mesut Ozil at full time after the forward did not acknowledge the Arsenal fans after the 6-3 defeat at Manchester City

Showing respect: Allen makes sure all his players thank the fans regardless of the result

When I’m in charge at a club I’ve always laid out quite clearly from day one; win, lose or draw you show you’re grateful and thankful to supporters who travelled to watch you. It’s a God given. Even if it hasn’t gone well, you’ve got to show courage to go down there and show your appreciation.

Money is hard to come by and it’s expensive to watch football. After that tantrum from Ozil you can probably tell why he was kicked out of Real Madrid.

WILSHERE’S WOES

Making hand gestures at opposition fans – what’s that about? It’s not good. Not thanking your own supporter and then having another player disrespect an opponent’s supporters, they’re not good signs. Champions have top discipline and show top professionalism.

Rude gesture: Jack Wilshere swore at Manchester City fans as Arsenal were crushed at the Etihad

Childish: William Gallas sat down with his back to goal when Arsenal conceded a late penalty to Birmingham in 2008

These sorts of things crept in a few years ago at Arsenal. William Gallas threw a childish tantrum and sat down on the pitch after they conceded a late penalty to draw with Birmingham in February 2008. After that their title challenge fell apart.

Top players, top sportsmen and top sportswomen don’t have tantrums. They take it in their stride, they deal with it, they stay calm in times of adversity.

REAL MEN CONDUCT THEMSELVES THE RIGHT WAY

It’s easy when you’re winning – but you find out what real men are like when you’re not. When players act properly and conduct themselves in the right way, even when they lose, that’s when you see the man. When adversity hit Arsenal, that didn’t happen.

Time to man up: Wilshere cannot use his age as an excuse for his behavior

Wilshere’s gesture will be costly. I don’t buy it when people use the excuse that he’s still a young lad. It’s the values and standards you’ve got, it’s how you’re brought up.

Wayne Rooney was like it when he was 16 and 17. He’s certainly not now, he’s learnt to deal with it; with people kicking him and trying to intimidate him.

Grow up: Wilshere must learn to react in the right way

Hopefully Wilshere will pick up on that, realise it’s petty and petulant – and most importantly irresponsible.

Perhaps if Arsenal leave him out and win games then he’ll really learn his lesson.

DISAPPOINTMENT AND RELIEF FOR CLARKE

I know what Steve Clarke is going through after he was sacked at West Brom, I went through it recently with Gillingham.

When you wake up the next morning and you’ve no longer got a job there’s a massive void in your life and he probably didn’t sleep too well the last few nights.

Beaten man: Steve Clarke lost his job at West Brom after losing the last four games

There will be an element of relief. You’ve no longer got the pressure of the job and the expectancy to get results has gone. But also it’s a massive disappointment.

He’ll be trying to find the answers: Why did I not win games? How could I have done better? What should I have done there? It’s ‘I’ not ‘we’. You can be harsh on yourself.

In the goals: Romelu Lukaku has proved his worth in goals at Everton

Replacements: West Brom signed Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon when they missed out on Lukaku and the pair have scored three goals between them this season

It’s horrible getting sacked in a normal job, but in the public eye everybody knows. It’s not nice. No-one wants to lose a job. It’s a sad time. It takes time to get used to.

NOTHING SHOCKS ME IN THE MAD WORLD OF FOOTBALL…

In football management, nothing shocks me anymore. West Brom finished eighth last season under Clarke. He was desperate to get Romelu Lukaku back at the club and that wasn't sorted out. Can someone tell me how he is not a great Premier League manager? It’s a joke, but it’s part and parcel of the job. It takes so much to succeed at the highest level now. That’s football.

Steve was desperate to get Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea but he ended up losing him to Everton so he got in Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon. As a fan, as a player, as a chairman, or a journalist, we all know West Brom would not win as many games with those two playing rather than Lukaku, and ultimately it is the manager that gets the bullet.

Also losing their influential, excellent director of football Dan Ashworth to the FA and replacing him with the club secretary was, to say the least, quite bizarre!

After they finished eighth, the highest position in the clubs' Premier League history, and Clarke did not get a new contract in the summer when his deal expired at the end of this season, so he must have known the writing was all over the wall.